Zelenskyy urges formation of European military forces

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is advocating for the formation of a European armed forces as the United States reduces its substantial aid to the region.

Addressing world leaders at the Munich Security Conference on Feb. 15, Zelenskyy stressed the importance of creating a European military to safeguard the region’s future peace.

“I truly believe that the time has come,” Zelenskyy stated. “The armed forces of Europe must be established.”

“The days of America supporting Europe simply because it always has are over,” he added.

Zelenskyy highlighted Ukraine’s three-year struggle against a Russian invasion as evidence that a foundation exists for the creation of a pan-European military, a concept long discussed by some European leaders.

However, the depth of support for this idea remains uncertain, and ongoing diplomatic tensions between the European Union (EU) and the United States may influence Europe to establish a regional military or an alternative to European NATO.

Related Stories

The EU has been a steadfast supporter of Kyiv since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. European nations have matched the United States in aid spending to Ukraine, even though Europe’s combined GDP is smaller than that of the United States.

However, transforming this shared mission into a viable international military force presents challenges. Political discord within the EU regarding its stance towards Moscow, ongoing economic issues, and stringent defense spending oversight regulations could hamper such an effort.

“Let there be no doubt, I believe that when it comes to European security, Europe must do more, Europe must contribute more, and to achieve this, a boost in European defense spending is necessary,” Von der Leyen declared during a speech at the Munich Security Conference on Friday.

Von der Leyen also mentioned that EU nations currently spend about two percent of their GDP on defense on average but may need to raise that figure to over three percent.

Despite this increase, it would still fall below the 5 percent target that the Trump administration urged its NATO allies to meet, a target that the United States itself has not achieved since 1990.

European leaders have been considering the creation of a joint military force for some time, but the urgency stemming from Russia’s invasion and the uncertainties surrounding the Trump administration’s stance towards Europe are expediting these discussions.

Some European leaders have quietly started developing a plan to deploy troops to Ukraine to help enforce any future peace agreement with Russia. This cooperative effort could evolve into a more formal joint military force.

There is a growing fear that the United States may sideline EU leadership from regional peace matters, including negotiations to end the conflict in Ukraine. Retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, recently excluded European leadership from Ukraine-Russia discussions despite Zelenskyy’s call for European involvement.

During an event organized by a Ukrainian businessman earlier this month, Kellogg expressed his belief that Europe’s participation in Ukraine-Russia cease-fire talks was unlikely.

“You can have the Ukrainians, the Russians, and clearly the Americans at the table talking,” Kellogg stated.

Expressing his frustration, Zelenskyy emphasized that U.S. leadership is attempting to sideline Europe from negotiating a resolution to the most significant conflict in Europe since World War II.

“Ukraine will not accept agreements made without our involvement, and the same applies to all of Europe,” Zelenskyy asserted. “President Trump never mentioned the need for Europe at the table during his conversations with Putin. That speaks volumes.”

Zelenskyy also stressed that Europe’s partnership with Ukraine should be on par with America’s.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.